Engineering Professor in Business Week

With the U.S. Congress in the middle of a debate over the massive economic stimulus package, it seems likely that as much as one-quarter of the proposed $800 billion-plus will go to upgrading the nation's badly neglected infrastructure. Engineering experts say there are plenty of IT-oriented projects that are simple and affordable and can be implemented relatively quickly. According to Charles M. Walton, a civil engineering professor at the University of Texas, many state transportation departments are aware of the potential for intelligent transportation systems, and they're now developing the confidence and skills to undertake such projects."This stuff is relatively cheap, and, if you save lives and avoid property damage, you get a significant cost-benefit ratio" says Walton.